Button or buttonhole gauge



239 @QSL L. SWARTZ BUTTON R BUTTONHOLE GAUGE Filed May' 5, 1948 wf Q Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v Lou Swartz, Brookline, Mass.

Application May 3, 1948, Serial No. 24,715

The invention herein described relates to an apparatus for spacing buttonholes and buttons on garments. More particularly, the present invention involves a carriage, designed to operate as an adjunct to a conventional buttonhole cutting or button sewing machine by carrying a garment or material upon which buttonholes are to be made or to which buttons are to be afiixed, and which will automatically space the buttonholes or buttons by a predetermined distance.

The object of thisinvention is to provide a means whereby a garment or material, upon which it is desired to make buttonholes or attach buttons, may be fed to the conventional buttonholing or button sewing machine so that the desired points of operation on the garment will be automatically positioned for the operation of the machine.

At present the common mode of performing these operations is by hand, whereby the locality -for each button or buttonhole is marked by hand and then the garment is positioned by hand for each operation of the machine. The' advantages obtained from this apparatus are greater ac curacy, faster operation, and less manual skill and labor in the positioning of buttonholes or buttons than has heretofore been possible.

Generally this apparatus designed to operate as an adjunct to a conventional button sewing or buttonhole cutting machine, consists of a garment carrying element preferably in the form of a plate having a cut away portion, but may be of any construction which will afford a unitary pair of oppositely disposed coplanar sections having an opening therebetween, having wheels which move along a xed race guide, or track on the machine bench. The garment upon which the operations are to be performed is positioned and clamped on the carrying plate so that the area on which the operations are to be performed is located over the opening or cut away area. As the plate is moved along the race, the desired area of the garment passes the operating position of the machine. To x the position and spacing of the buttons or holes, adjustable stops are located along the race assembly which engage a catch located on the plate, so that as the desired area of the garment passes through the operating position of the machine, the plate will be stopped at each point where a button is to be aflixed or a hole made. At each stop the operation of the machine is performed and the plate is then moved to the next stop.

Thus, after properly positioning the garment on the plate and spacing the adjustable stops,

6 claims'. (cl. 11a- 75) 2 Y the operator need only move the plate from stop to stop to eiectuate a proper and accurate locating of the point of the garment upon .which the machine is to operate. .I

In describing the apparatus of this invention -in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1` is a top View of the plate, Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View of the plate and its race taken along the line 2 2 `of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the plate and the race assembly taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detailed view partly in section primarily to show the stop mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the stops.

The plate I0, constructed of suitable structural and supporting material such as wood or sheet metal, which, as can be seen from Fig. 1, is preferably rectangular in shape but having a relatively large portion cut away forming an operating area II. A plurality of paired and parallel elongated slots I3 are designed to receive clamps I2 in transverse adjustability to the race, two clamps being shown in Fig. 1 positionedlin their respective pairs of slots located on opposite sides of area Il. The adjustability of these clamps is perpendicular to the lineof travel of the plate along the race, the race assembly being described in detail below. Clamps I2 are preferably of the spring type and each have a guide flange 30 Attached to the buttonholing or button sewing machine bench Il is a bench extension I4 upon which isvxed a race assembly I5 forming the race, guide, or track I6, as shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to the plate I0 and depending therefrom are a plurality of legs I8 to which are secured wheels I9. These legs and their corresponding wheels are arranged in two parallel rows or sets, one set riding upon the bench I'I and the other riding in race I6 and guided thereby as shown by Figs. 2 and 3.

Located on and along the race assembly I5 are a plurality of adjustable stops 28. Their adjustability lies along a line parallel to the race IB and may be effectuated by any conventional means such as by an elongated slot or slots running parallel to the race in which these stops may slide and be clamped in adjusted positions, or by closely spaced oblong holes SI running parallel to the race into which these stops may be snugly tted.

Attached to and depending from the plate I0 is the catch 2| which is designed and positioned to engage the stops 20 as plate I is moved along the path of race I6.

The stop and catch arrangement may be of 3 any suitable conventional type wherein the catch will be held in xed position when engaging the stop, but Will be released when increased force is exerted in the direction of travel. The particular stop and catch arrangement shown in Figs. 2 and 3 consists of a stop having a recess 25 on its catch engaging face and a yieldable catch whose stop engaging portion is shaped to t into theirecess 25. The engaging surfaces are of such complementary shape and. slope fthat, as the catch TI engages stop 20, its hollow engaging element 22 will ride upwardly on rod .23 against the force of spring 24 until the catch'is over the recess 25 of the stop,.wlf1en spring forces the engaging surface of the catch to enter the recess. The catch will then be hl'd=in"pos`i tion until increas-ed force iseexerted `:in -ieither direction along the race so as to cause the catch and stop to disengage.

This automatic button or buttonhole spacing sapparatus is @designed toc-Work Lin .icongiunction 'mY-th ithe l'conventional :button .sewngtor button- :hole cutting machine. 'The plates-1D :and llare mounted on th-e bench-or Work ztable l1 `:of the machine so that cut :out-:area l I s-Inayrzbe moved -intoisuitable espatial :relationship -fwith the. opereating head 5010i themachineto'eiectzthepabove f describedobject of 'theapparatusl When afsuitable xpositionorft'hefplatexhas .been determined, a trace assemblyssuch :as :I:5.is"afixed 4tol the bench @either fdirectlypr fbyr-means oi-.a :bench :extension aton'e'ceivek oneiset offwheels and :guide the plate finlits operative :movementV and; maintain 'itzin'wits chosen position. VfIn conjunction with the race ffassembly, the :adjustable Ystops 20-are provided ffor. Where it :may :be found :desirableor 4znecessary: Va race f'assem'bly .may belemployedufor @each Vsetfrof wheels, the race :lassemblymr yassemblies may be arljustably .fmounted to provide @adjustmentina lineup'erpendicular to the raoenvayfand #the v:stops Zit-maybe tlocated ron any :appropriate part fof the ben'ch :rather than being associated yiWith the zraceassembly. Y

With fthe .apparatus suitably mounted *i on the :machine bench,. its operationy is fas 'f ollows: The @material or garment'upon which :therow `ofrbut- Ftonholes isft'o befrnade Aor buttons are :to-:be affixed sas` indicated fby:numeraM.9,-r isrclampedr: intoposition by :clamps V|12, with :thejfportion .of fthe-{garamen-1:1130 :be yeperat-ed-..on being :located-'over fthe fout-:out area I Anyfnumber fof .suoh'clamps .as fare foundinecessarylbeing employed. .The clamps having beenifixedfin adjusted position ,in their A,slotsifor thefparticularr run mi eworkr to :be-idone, ,.theagarment'f isc-brought into. proper position Joy ,having Aits edge ,-run against v7the 3 guide flanges T30 x'of .the clamps, =to -fi-X- the distance Aof the buttons :or buttonholes -fromY the \.edge of .thegarment. [Bhe lportion of the; garment upon which it. .-is ,-.de-

sired that the machine :operate isfnow .properly g'located-over the cutout-,portion VIll. .-Ihefstops 20 lare thenfspaced from :each other 'the (distance #desired between `the buttons or ebuttonholes. `iWith the `plate brought into engagementlwith theV first stop, thef'point on.r the garment to .-re- .-eeive Ithe drstbuttonholepr button positioned attheloperatingpointeoi the-machine. :With :the -garment :thusfpositioned and vthe stops'fproperly .adjusted the -button for buttonhole machinens operated. The plate is then movedwtorthe rstop, -where the l:operation .lis repeatedandso on iuntilithe desiredfnnmbertof 'buttonholes .fhav been cut orbuttons aiXed.

It is understood that this disclosure .describes .onlyf therpreferred :embodiment oftthefinvention,

4 and modification of its structure Within the spirit and scope of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a garment carrying plate and a race assembly; said plate having a cut-out operating area and elongated transverse slots; clamps ad justably secured to said plate through said slots, `zand located Aon fopposte sides ofthe operating area, =the adjustability o said clamps being transverse to the race, two sets of wheels depend ing from the plate, one set of Wheels positioned in @said srafceassembly, a yieldable catch depending from said plate, and adjustable stops positioned :along -the'race assembly; the race assembly co-` foperating with said wheels to guide the plate in its movement therealong, said catch cooperating -W'ith Ysaid stops to arrest the movement of said plate along the race assembly at arplurality of laprr-zfdeter-rnined points.

.52. .A device .of :thecharacter fdescribedcompris `-i-n'gasfgar-ment carrying plate-.and a race rassem- 1bl-ygusaid platefhaving `a cut-out operatingnareaf-a plurality of -nlamps adjustably .secured thereto, Wizieels :depending therefrom, and .a ayieldable 'eatch depending .therefromg said .-ra'ce assembly .having #a plurality 4:of v,adjustable stops zlocated .therea1ong; said wheels .nonpera'ting fiwith .said race assembly .to :guide :the :plate in :its :move- :ment rtherealong, said catch cooperating :with :said stops vto :.arrest'the :movement yof .-said aplate :along the raoefassemblyatza plurality-.of prede- Atei-mined',points.

.A device:ofzthefcharacterdescribed :compris- Afing. a garment :supporting fplategazrace assembly,

fandustops; said plate fhavingza :cut'out1.operating area, clamps adjustably secured thereto, 'wheels depending therefrom, y:andfafcatch securedfthereno to :s aidfwheelscooperating- :withisaid race assemfbl-y fto guide :said plate :fin :'its movement kvthereaiong- ,andsaid fcatch;.cooperatingcwith said.- stops i-toarrest the movementsof said plategalong :the race assembly-at ;:afplurality 10i-predetermined 45 lpoints. l

4. -rIn combina-tion: a buttonholingyor jeutton sewing machine ,;a-benclnsupporting;themachine, .and fa. device fmounted Lon Vsaid bench rior :prositoni-ngfand `:spacing :aJ-series of buttonholes i korn'oubtons son Aafgarnient said il'device ll.cermsrisii'li @a garment carrying-plate fandea; racegassembly; -`saidplate :havingza cut-away ioperating ,far-.ea :and r.elongated transverse slots; 'cla-inps, adjustablyfsefcuredrto :said-plate thronghesad slots, -andilficatezi .A ronfzopposite sides sof ithemperating areaygthe ad fjustabilityof said..clamps Kbeing rtransverse tor-'the fraceftvfozsetszof wheels dependingifrem therpl-ate, fone setzof-vvheels positioned:inisaifd-race assembly, Iafyieldable catch Idepending :from fsaid :platea and :adjustable :stops `positioned along athefrace asrsembly; saidg-.device voperating ftopcarryfandimove .far garment finto ,seminal :positions Ywith--respect i to naidimachine `:fariaecomplishing a :predetermined positioning :and-fspacing of :the buttonholes tor 65 ubuttons.

:5. YI-nfcombinatinnrfaimachine foriworking upon 'fa'garment at predetermined,faligned,-and.ispacetl :a benchsupportingithe machine, ia device adantedtoicarryiand rmove'ithe: garment into the several :positiensl for iltne above operations :'sai'd device sscmprising :a garment carrying @plate :and fauraceiassembly :said plate ihaving an operating area cut away therefrom, camhirality cfciamps .fadjnstably `:secured 4iatllereto, rfwheels irlepending x therefromgan'dea yieldab-legcatclmdepending; therefrom; said race assembly having a plurality of adjustable stops located therealong; said wheels cooperating with said race assembly to guide the plate in its movement therealong, said catch cooperating With said stops to arrest the movement of said plate along the race assembly at a plurality of predetermined points.

6. In combination, a machine for working upon a garment at predetermined, aligned, and spaced points, a bench supporting the machine, a device adopted to carry and move the garment into the several positions for the above operations; said device comprising a garment supporting plate, a race assembly, and stops; said plate having an operating area cut away therefrom, clamps adjustably secured thereto, wheels depending therefrom, and a catch secured thereto; said Wheels cooperating with said race assembly to guide said plate in its movement therealonz and said catch cooperating with said stops to arrest the movement of said plate along said race assembly at a plurality of predetermined points.

LOU SWARTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 61,101 Rehfuss Jan. 8, 1867 '16,323 Gritzner Apr. 7, 1868 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 47,220 Germany May 31, 1889 

